3 minute read
Chef Q A: John Benhase of Common Thread
CHEF Q & A
Close to Home
JOHN BENHASE, CO-EXECUTIVE CHEF, COMMON THREAD
Interview by STEVEN ALFORD
KROUSKOFF HOUSE, thehistoric 1897 home at the corner of Abercorn and 37th streets, now has a satisfying second act as home to Common Thread, one of the city’s newest restaurants from the team behind FARM Bluffton. The interiors feel like home (due to the building’s history, many of its original details remain), but it’s the food that makes guests want to get comfortable: co-executive chef John Benhase presents a delectable mashup of classic and modern Lowcountry fare within Common Thread’s cozy, vintage-inspired confines. Here, Benhase shares how he found his way into the culinary world and why the support of his friends and family helped him persevere through a challenging year.
ON HUMBLE BEGINNINGS:
I have always been a creative and tactile person, so finding a career path where I could combine those things with the joy you get from hospitality and service was a perfect fit. I knew I wanted to cook, and I figured the best way to learn was to just get in a kitchen and work hard. I started washing dishes, making salads and desserts and even cleaning hotel rooms just to try and get my foot in the door.
ON FAMILY (AND WORK FAMILY):
As for my values and who I am as a person, I could not have a more wonderful or supportive family on both sides. Sarah, my wife, is truly incredible. My family members have always been my biggest fans; I just try to make them proud. [FARM executive chef and partner] Brandon Carter has become a great friend and mentor to me during the process of opening Common Thread. We joke about finishing each other’s sentences now. In our kitchen, we all taste things together, we influence one another, and we draw from our individual backgrounds to create uniquely collective food.
ON LOCAL INGREDIENTS:
In the Lowcountry, we have incredible growing seasons, which allows chefs like us to cook with the seasons and have constant inspiration rolling in. We also have truly beautiful seafood down here, from
shellfi sh to oysters to fi sh coming through at diff erent times of the year. There’s peace in the simplicity of special ingredients being the best version of themselves.
ON TEAM SPIRIT:
Common Thread is special because of the people behind it. [Partners Brandon and Jessica Carter, Alan and Karen Sheriff and Ryan and Joanne Williamson] dreamt of this place years ago, and we’ve all been fully committed to realizing their dream. The culture we’ve been able to create in such a short time is amazing, but we had a massive head start because of all the work the FARM Bluff ton family has been doing for years. In both the front of house and back, our team is all in.
ON FOOD’S UNIVERSALITY:
For me, food is an international language that brings us all together. The ability to cook for other people is fun and rewarding and is even more fulfi lling when you’re able to use ingredients that have as much of a story to tell as the inspirations behind the dishes themselves.
ON FUTURE PLANS:
We look forward to being able to expand more and more as it becomes viable and safe. We have an incredible outdoor space and are really excited about starting to do events and more interactive cooking experiences. We are also very excited to start interacting with the community more and get involved in philanthropic and socially conscious avenues. We have ideas for other concepts, too, that we can’t wait to execute during a return to “new normalcy.”
— John Benhase, co-executive chef, Common Thread
Common Thread’s custom hearth — a versatile type of oven — was built by Sea Island Forge on St. Simons Island.
